Colorado Politics

 Michael Dougherty is literally running for attorney general in Colorado Democrat’s 1st TV ad

Democratic attorney general candidate Michael Dougherty, the Boulder County district attorney, runs laps around the judicial complex in Denver that houses the office he’s seeking in a TV ad released Friday that includes a subtle dig at one of his...

 Group aims to add right to hunt and fish to Colorado Constitution

A group is seeking to make Colorado the 25th state in the nation with an established constitutional right to hunting and fishing through a proposed ballot initiative. Backed by the International Order of T. Roosevelt, a group dedicated to preserving...

 Hickenlooper lands endorsements from Elizabeth Warren, Ministerial Alliance in US Senate primary

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper won endorsements this week from a progressive Democratic colleague and a coalition of metro-area African American faith leaders as voting began in Colorado’s primary election. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and the Greater Metro Denver...

 As number of unaffiliated voters grow in Colorado, experts note patterns, behavior

For the first time in Colorado’s history, more primary ballots are going to voters without a party affiliation than to registered Democrats or Republicans. As such, political experts said, candidates today need to appeal to a new block of people...

 Bennet campaign finance case delayed again as Colorado Elections Division amends complaint

A campaign‑finance complaint alleging that U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s Senate committee improperly paid for travel tied to his gubernatorial bid won’t get a public hearing until after the June 30 primary. The latest development followed months of delays and a...

 Flat or graduated income tax? Colorado groups push dueling measures for November election

Colorado voters could face two opposing income-tax measures on the November ballot, with the dueling campaigns seeking to advance proposals that would take the state in sharply different fiscal directions. One initiative seeks to replace Colorado’s flat income tax with...

 Backers of Colorado road-funding initiative reject withdrawal deadline

The standoff over a road‑funding initiative in Colorado persisted after supporters declined state lawmakers’ request to withdraw the measure, while both sides signaled they are willing to pursue a broader agreement ahead of the fall deadline. Initiative No. 175, backed...

 Sparks fly in debate between Democrats in Colorado’s 8th CD primary

The two Democrats running for the chance to take on the Republican incumbent in Colorado’s most competitive congressional district traded blows during a feisty televised debate Monday night, sparring over their approaches to reining in the Trump administration’s immigration policies...

 Jena Griswold hits airwaves with 1st major ad buy in Colorado’s Democratic attorney general primary

Democratic attorney general candidate Jena Griswold plays the greatest hits from her two terms as Colorado secretary of state in her campaign’s first TV ad, which began airing Monday, the same day county clerks began sending out primary ballots. Set...

 Primary ballots hit mailboxes in high-stakes election year in Colorado

County clerks began mailing primary ballots to voters on Monday, as Colorado wades deeper into a crowded election year. Voters will face a long list of choices in both the June 30 primary and the November general election. Every major...

 Bennet wants to be Colorado’s next governor | Cronin and Loevy

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is considered the front-runner in the Colorado Democratic Party primary contest for governor. His major opponent is current Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.  The Democratic primary election is June 30. Registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters who choose to can vote in this election. Ballots are being mailed...

 A tale of two debates | Vince Bzdek

Ballots go out Monday as the June 30 state primary elections bear down on us. As a result, it is suddenly the season of proliferating political debates, and there have been some doozies already. I had the chance to see two very...

 6 incumbents face challengers in primary

With Colorado’s primary election just weeks away, voters will see plenty of new names on their ballots when they’re sent out next week.  There will be some old names, too, as several incumbents are running opposed. Six lawmakers — one...

 After prison release, Tina Peters faces tight parole limits, ongoing legal troubles

Released from prison this week, former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters now begins a parole term that outlines strict limits on her movements and conduct, while separate ethics and campaign‑finance cases continue to move forward. Peters’ parole, as first reported...

 Democrats Bennet, Weiser square off in spirited Colorado gubernatorial primary debate

The two Democrats running for governor of Colorado agreed on nearly every policy-related topic but vehemently clashed over which of them is best equipped to lead the state through what one described as an “existential moment” in a televised debate...

 Colorado voters to decide dozens of open state seats in June 30 primaries

With 21 Senate seats and all 65 House seats on the ballot, Colorado voters can expect a crowded November election. Nearly two dozen lawmakers are stepping down — some to run for other offices, others to leave politics altogether —...

 Election office rejects lobbying allegations in Colorado House district race

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office has dismissed a complaint alleging that attorney Iris Halpern engaged in illegal lobbying at the state Capitol. Halpern is challenging Rep. Sean Camacho, D-Denver, in the June 30 primary for the House District 6...

 Colorado legislature braces for high turnover: 21 Senate seats, 15 House positions

This year’s general election will feature an unusually high number of state Senate races — 21 seats, the most in at least three decades. The surge stems from the number of new senators appointed to fill vacancies during the 2025...

 Colorado’s 3 Republican gubernatorial candidates face off in heated primary debate

The three Colorado Republicans running for governor defended their qualifications, described their visions for the state and traded jabs over each other’s character at an often contentious televised debate that routinely veered into unusual territory Tuesday night in Denver. The...

 Hickenlooper hits airwaves with 1st TV ad in Colorado’s Democratic US Senate primary

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper launched his reelection campaign’s first TV ad Tuesday, a week before Colorado voters start receiving primary ballots, with a spot taking aim at the Trump administration’s foiled plans to sell public lands. Hickenlooper is facing a...

 Colorado Democrats slam Tina Peters’ release, while Republicans cheer

Tina Peters, the former Colorado county clerk convicted of breaching her county’s secure voting equipment, drew cheers from fellow Republicans upon her release from prison Monday after Democratic Gov. Jared Polis commuted her sentence. Other state Democrats, however, said remarks...

 Colorado groups push policies on hunting, taxes, transgender issues this November election

With five initiatives already cleared and many more in the pipeline, Colorado voters will face major policy decisions this fall that would affect their income taxes, how schools deal with transgender athletes, and whether hundreds of millions in funding should...

 Colorado Republicans elect software engineer Craig Steiner to fill vacant state chairman position

The Colorado Republican Party on Saturday elected Craig Steiner to fill the party’s vacant state chair position at a state central committee meeting in Buena Vista, just over a week before primary ballots go out to voters and five months...

 Colorado Democratic attorney general candidates clash over experience and Trump lawsuits

Colorado’s four Democratic candidates for attorney general clashed sharply Thursday night in a debate that repeatedly returned to one theme — whether the state’s top lawyer should be a courtroom veteran or a political fighter. The contenders additionally sparred over...

 Colorado candidates for governor share plans to tackle youth mental health crisis

Three candidates for Colorado’s highest elected office laid out their plans to address the state’s youth mental health crisis during a forum on Thursday. Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, and Republican State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer fielded...

 Colorado advocates unveil youth mental-health ‘playbook’ for next governor

Colorado youth‑mental‑health advocates have released a new “playbook,” urging the next governor to streamline the state’s sprawling system of services and appoint a single leader to oversee them. In addition to hosting a gubernatorial candidate forum on Thursday, Mind Our...

 Colorado’s Democratic attorney general candidates debate in Parker

The four Democrats running for attorney general in Colorado’s June 30 primary are slated to take the stage Thursday night in Parker at a debate sponsored by Colorado Politics, the Denver Gazette and Common Sense Institute. The primary election for...

 Colorado governor candidates confront business climate, housing affordability woes

Four of the five major-party candidates for Colorado governor share common ground on two big issues: they see the perception that Colorado has become less business‑friendly as a serious concern, and they view housing affordability as central to the state’s...

 Republicans Kirkmeyer, Bottoms say they won’t back Marx if he wins Colorado’s gubernatorial primary

Two of the Republicans running for governor of Colorado said Tuesday night in a debate that they won’t support the third candidate if he wins next month’s primary election. State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer and state Rep. Scott Bottoms said that...

 180,000 signatures submitted to put Colorado road funding initiative on November ballot

Organizers of a proposal seeking to dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars to road construction and maintenance have submitted signatures to state election officials in their campaign to put the initiative on the ballot this November. If officials certified the...